Production begins at Camp Eastman Wednesday, July 16 —Limited Passes On Sale Now
ROCHESTER, N.Y. —July 8, 2025—There’s just one month to go before the start of the Hoochenanny Whiskey & Music Festival, from August 8 to 10 at Camp Eastman in Irondequoit. Organizers today announced the full lineup of food vendors and beer-tasting experiences. Production at Camp Eastman will begin next week.
Now in its second year, the immersive three-day event spans 14 acres near Lake Ontario and will feature two outdoor stages, six custom-built tents, and more than 150 spirits poured by nearly 30 national and New York State distillers. The music lineup includes performances by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Charles Wesley Godwin, moe., Dark Star Orchestra, Old 97’s, and others.
Festival hours are Friday from 2 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 2 to 10 p.m. Hoochenanny is owned by Tommy Brunett and Sean McCarthy.
Site Production Begins July 16
Festival production at Camp Eastman will begin Wednesday, July 16. Crews will begin installing fencing and building out the site’s infrastructure, including tent structures and staging areas. The buildout will continue over the following three weeks to transform the space into a fully immersive festival environment.
Barrel Bistro Food Lineup Announced
The Barrel Bistro, presented by OneDigital, will feature a selection of local food vendors and trucks located directly within the festival grounds, making it easy for guests to grab a bite without leaving the event. All vendors will offer walk-up service throughout the three days of the festival, unless otherwise noted, and guests can enjoy their selections at designated seating areas, including both covered and uncovered spaces.
- Compané Trattoria – Fairport-based restaurant serving grilled clams on Friday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 10.
- Eat Greek Food Truck – Serves gyros, bowls, Greek fries, salads, dolmades and baklava, with vegetarian options.
- Ice Cream Factory – Offers homemade ice cream and adult-only boozy flavors from its mobile truck.
- Jaime’s Dreams Bakery – Offers a variety of sweet goods including brownies, cake pops, cookies and gluten-free options.
- Rio Tomatlán – Canandaigua-based restaurant serves tacos, burritos, tostadas and guacamole made with traditional Mexican ingredients.
- The Sheffield Tavern – Serves smash burgers in several styles, including a vegetarian black bean burger.
- Swan Market – Offers German fare including bratwurst, knockwurst and traditional sides such as sauerkraut and potato salad.
- Swilly’s – Operated by the team behind Swillburger and The Owl House, Swilly’s makes a highly anticipated return with its popular Maine-style lobster roll, made with lemon and light mayo and served in a top-split roll from Flour City Bread, alongside house-cut potato chips.
- Whiskey River Pub & Grill – Serves barbecue including smoked pork, ribs, chicken wings and traditional sides.
Lager Land Beer Lineup Announced
Lager Land will feature a selection of 13 of the Northeast’s best lagers, served inside a 3,000-square-foot tent located near the main festival area, with a view of the stage. Designed as a walk-up tasting experience, it will offer the first five tastings free, with additional flights of five available for $10.
- 3HB (Three Heads Brewing) – Rochester-based brewery known for its balanced lagers and rotating seasonal selections.
- Allagash Brewing Company – Maine-based brewery offering clean, crisp lagers including Lager and Surf House.
- Frequentem Brewing Co. – Geneva brewery known for its small-batch, innovative craft beers.
- Irondequoit Beer Company – Local brewery bringing a variety of approachable, community-focused brews.
- Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers – Massachusetts-based brewery offering a selection of German-style lagers including Copper Legend, Blood Orange Wheat, and Fire in the Ham.
- Meier’s Creek Brewing Company – Central New York brewery known for a wide range of modern craft beers, including several clean and hop-forward lagers.
- Prison City Brewing – Auburn-based brewery offering Oktoberfest and a lineup of crisp lagers including Crispy Boys and flavored variations.
- Steuben Brewing Company – Hammondsport-based farm brewery offering clean, classic lagers brewed with local ingredients.
- Strangebird Beer – Rochester brewery known for its experimental and award-winning small-batch lagers.
- Swiftwater Brewing Co. – Rochester-based brewery pouring its Swift Light lager series in lemon, lime, watermelon, and other rotating flavors.
- Tröegs Independent Brewing – Pennsylvania brewery featuring a variety of summer lagers including Sunshine Pilsner, Raspberry Wheat, and Troegenator Doppelbock.
- Von Trapp Brewing – Vermont brewery offering traditional Austrian-style lagers such as Helles, Dunkel, and Bohemian Pils.
Passes are on sale now at hoochenanny.com/passes, with advance pricing available through Thursday, August 7.
General admission passes are available for one day ($55), two days ($95), or three days ($135), plus service fees. General admission includes access to the festival site during hours of operation, up-front standing room at both stages, entry to the Concert Pavilion Beverage Center and Stageview Craft Cocktail Lounge, the Artisans Bazaar and Barrel Bistro food experience, free beer tastings at Lager Land, water fill stations, and over 25,000 square feet of covered seating space. The event is open to all ages, with designated 21+ areas identified on-site.
Guests who want to experience the whiskey tastings can purchase General Admission Tasting Passes, available for one day ($85), two days ($150), or three days ($215), plus service fees. These passes include all general admission benefits, plus access to the World of Whiskey tasting experience, featuring 20 curated whiskey tastings with additional options available for purchase on-site.
VIP Passes are available for one day ($160), two days ($310), or three days ($430), plus service fees. VIP guests enjoy all the benefits of general admission tasting, plus access to the Ide Family of Dealerships VIP Loft presented by Skrewball, bird’s-eye views of both stages with exclusive VIP bridge access, private whiskey tastings, full cash bars, plush cocktail lounges, sit-down dining and dedicated catering for purchase, climate-controlled luxury restrooms, a cigar bar featuring custom-made, hand-rolled cigars, and free on-site parking.
For full festival details and to purchase passes, visit hoochenanny.com.
Music Lineup
The 2025 festival will feature an expanded music lineup with international, national, and regional artists performing across two stages, delivering a dynamic mix of Americana, rock, alternative, punk, outlaw country and rockabilly.
Friday, August 8: Charles Wesley Godwin, Old 97’s, The English Beat, Cristina Vane, Checks & Exes, Johnny Hart and the Mess
Saturday, August 9: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Record Company, Tommy Brunett’s All-Star Cavalcade of Scoundrels featuring Andy Kim, The Jack Knives, Vandoliers, Mike Powell and The Echosound, The Isotopes, The Medicinals
Sunday, August 10: moe., Dark Star Orchestra, Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Eggy
Whiskey Lineup
This year’s whiskey programming will be triple the size of the inaugural festival, showcasing more than 150 of the finest spirits from local, national and regional distilleries.
The World of Whiskey Tasting Experience will showcase more than 30 national and regional distillers areas inside an 16,000-square-foot structure tent. The tasting experience will offer interactive sampling stations, educational sessions, and opportunities to meet the distillers behind the brands, with samples ranging from classic bourbons to unique craft expressions.
The five unique Tasting Experience areas are:
- Rickhouse Rendezvous is a prohibition-style rickhouse-meets-speakeasy presented by The New York State Distillers Guild, it will highlight distillers from across the Excelsior state along with interactive exhibits and educational displays.
- American Whiskey Journey is a coast-to-coast experience showcasing whiskey-producing states and distilleries across the country. Patrons will be immersed in the rich culture and heritage of American’s signature spirit, and presented visions of what American whiskey is and can be in the future.
- Rarities Bar offers Hoochenanny whiskey fans exclusive access to some truly rare sips – exclusive, limited-edition whiskeys, from local, regional and national distillers, including several exclusive to Hoochenanny.
- Libations Lounge offers a selection of craft whiskey cocktails from veteran mixologists, allowing guests to experience pre-prohibition classics up to modern innovations. Patrons can mix their neat whiskey into a specialty cocktail, or explore a menu of non-whiskey spirits to craft the perfect drink.
- Fireside Chats are conversations moderated by nationally recognized whiskey media personalities along with a rotating lineup of industry experts and Hoochenanny master distillers, blenders, and ambassadors.
Participating brands include:
1911 Established, Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, Black Button Distilling, Bubba’s Secret Stills Whiskey, Buffalo Distilling Company, Burnt Church, Castle & Key Distillery, Cooper’s Daughter Spirits, Den of Thieves, Do Good Spirits, Finger Lakes Distilling Co., Fort Hamilton Distillery, Hudson Whiskey, Iron Smoke Distillery, Jefferson’s Bourbon, Lock 1 Distilling Company, Michter’s, Old Scotland Road Distillery, Pinhook Bourbon, Rabbit Hole, Smooth Ambler, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Starlight Distillery, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, Tenmile Distillery, Tin Cup Mountain Whiskey, WhistlePig Whiskey and Woodinville Whiskey Co.
More Expanded Festival Experiences
The 2025 festival will offer a variety of immersive experiences, including:
- Highball Stage - Featuring performances by top international and national music groups.
- Fermenter Stage, presented by Harv’s Harley Davidson - Showcasing top international and national music groups, along with the best local and regional talent.
- Ide Family of Dealerships VIP Loft presented by Skrewball – This premium ticket option offers exclusive access to a two-story, 5,000-square-foot oasis with a bird’s-eye view of the festival stages or access to the VIP bridge for the best main stage experience. The experience includes sit-down dining, a full cash cocktail bar, plush seating with a cigar bar, and exclusive whiskey tastings. Climate-controlled luxury restrooms provide comfort while guests enjoy the ultimate festival experience.
- Concert Pavilion - This 5,000-square-foot covered space offers views of the main and local stages, with ample seating and lounge areas. It can comfortably accommodate 750 patrons and features an 32-foot bar serving beer, wine, and seltzer. Festival and band merchandise will also be available to browse while enjoying live music in a relaxed atmosphere.
- Stageview Cocktail Lounge, presented by Indus Hospitality – A craft cocktail bar with a direct view of the main stage, offering specialty drinks available for purchase. The 2,000-square-foot space is located inside a newly constructed lodge facility built by the Town of Irondequoit Recreation Department. The lounge accommodates approximately 300 people and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Lager Land - Complimentary beer flight tastings featuring five different pours will showcase approximately 13 local craft brews inside a 3,000-square-foot tent located near the main festival area. Guests may purchase an additional flight of five tastings for $10.
- Barrel Bistro, presented by OneDigital - A variety of local food vendors will offer culinary options to complement the festival experience.
Artisans Bazaar - This marketplace will feature unique creations of local artisans and handcrafted goods.
Seeking Unique Vendors for the Artisans Bazaar
Vendors are invited to showcase unique, one-of-a-kind goods at the festival, focusing on rare, quirky, and unconventional items. This is an opportunity for artisans and creators to offer festivalgoers something extraordinary. Vendor applications are now open. Those interested in participating can apply at hoochenanny.com/artisans-application.
Hoochenanny Teams Up with Make-A-Wish, Lou Gramm Foundation, Endless Highway to Make an Impact
This year, the festival is partnering with Make-A-Wish, the Lou Gramm Foundation, and Endless Highway, uniting to bring hope and change to our community. Details on how these organizations will be involved in this year’s festival will be announced soon.
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